Google has announced that it will no longer support ads on its platform that sell products or services that track or control/monitor people without their permission.
Google, in its update to enabling dishonest behaviour policy, an ad policy update stated that this would be appropriate from August 11.
“The updated policy will prevent the promotion of products or services that are marketed or targeted with the express intention of tracking or monitoring another person or their actions without their authorization,” Google stated.
Google, in its ad policy, has indicated that it will not support any sort of spying or monitoring devices without the consent or authorization.
However, Google also stated that this policy would not apply to private investigation services or products or services designed for parents to track or monitor their underage children.
Other than for views stated above, Google will stop advertising products that will add spyware/malware that can be used to monitor texts, phone calls, or browsing history, GPS trackers specifically marketed to spy or track someone without their approval.
Google will also discontinue the promotion of monitoring equipment, which includes cameras, audio recorders, dash cams, nanny cams marketed with the express purpose of spying.
A research group in 2018 attended a study on the “ecosystem of trusted partner surveillance spyware.” The study observed that many Google ads had search terms with the purpose of spying or leading surveillance, CNBC noted.
These ads broadly marketed tools to spy on user’s wives. Some of these ads read, “How to catch a cheating wife with his cell phone” and “Track My Wife’s Phone — Want to Spy on your Wife? Track your Wife without her recognizing. Discover Who Are They messaging. Download! 24-Hour Support Price Superiority No Jailbreaking and App Results Guaranteed.”
The researchers, at the moment of publishing the study, stated that Google had begun to limit ads for search terms that encourage intimate partner surveillance.
“We routinely update our language with examples to assist clarify what we consider policy-violating. Spyware technology for partner surveillance was always in the scope of our policies against dishonest behavior,” a Google spokesperson stated in a statement.
Google’s ad policy notes that the advertisers who will proceed to publish such ads beyond 11 August will have a buffer time of one week before Google begins suspending their accounts.